


The Spark and the Steel

by WellThought



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman and the Outsiders (Comics), Black Lightning (Comics), DCU (Comics), Outsiders (Comics)
Genre: Action, Drama, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Good versus Evil, Humor, Light Angst, Partners to Lovers, Romance, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:14:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29393913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WellThought/pseuds/WellThought
Summary: Black Lighting and Katana. One sparks hope of something new. The other, like steel, cuts down any fear.This is the story of how the two come together.
Relationships: Grace Choi/Anissa Pierce, Jefferson Pierce/Tatsu Yamashiro
Kudos: 4





	The Spark and the Steel

**Author's Note:**

> First story here so, whoo!
> 
> I would have never predicted last year's Outsiders run to introduce the idea of this pairing but damn, if it isn't brilliant. I wanted to be the first to write a fanfic for this pairing and do them as much justice as I could.
> 
> I have no schedule when it comes to writing. Ideas come and go as they please. I hope to do more comic couples and crack pairings that few, if nobody has written on this site before though. 
> 
> Anyways, Enjoy!

“You think too loud.”  
It was night, close to 2 a.m., and a team of trained heroes was stationed on a rooftop overlooking a warehouse. They called themselves the Outsiders, but with the level of secrecy and subterfuge they operated under most wouldn't even be aware that they existed. Individually, the members had decent levels of fame, with some high profile clashes against villains making papers and headlining evening news every now and then. But their major missions, the ones they spent weeks prepping for, often got covered up by the government and other shadowy organizations, often the second their work was done with. Was it better to have the public ignorant or aware of a doomsday exchanged on the black market and lost by national surveillance? Not every member shared the same opinions on the matter but they still did the work to protect people.  
“Come again?”  
Jefferson Pierce aka Black Lightning, a seasoned veteran of crime fighting, turned his gaze over to his teammate of five years, Katana. Her eyes, however, were not on him but instead closed, her body resting in a meditative pose.  
“Your mind, it’s noisy.”  
Jeff let out a snort peered back over the rooftop.  
“Well excuse me for being wired up before a mission.”  
Katana pulled out her sword, the Soultaker, and began balancing it on her left index finger.  
“Can you afford to be so tense when facing an onslaught of stressful evils?  
“Believe me, stress and I go hand in hand these days.”  
“You must learn to calm the storm in your head, Raijin.”  
“You’re telling ME to relax? Heh, now that’s funny.”  
Katana's right eye peeped open and her eyebrow raised with an inquisitive look. “Funny?”  
“Coming from a samurai who’s always on edge and never takes personal time, yeah, it’s funny.”  
“...”  
“What, no more sage advice?” Jeff spoke with a smile.  
“Target entered the scene, 50 meters ahead.”  
“Dammit Duke, you’re on reporting duty! Aren’t you supposed to be updating us?”  
“Sorry! You just happened to leave your comms open and I was way too invested in your conversation!”  
“Saturday, 12 ‘clock.”  
“Wait, are these new codes or are you talking about the actual da-”  
“I should’ve stayed solo.”  
___________________________________

*Knock, knock  
“For the last time, I’m not interested in buying any kitchen kniv-”  
“Good. I’m more of a swords person anyway.”  
“Tatsu?”  
“Jeff.”  
Even after the occasional meetup the team had outside of missions, Jeff wasn't used to seeing Tatsu in casual wear.  
“Nice to see you but uh, what exactly are you doing here?”  
“For a man of such great wisdom, you sure are lacking when it comes to memory?”  
“Come again?”  
“See, already proving my point.” Tatsu ducked under Jeff's arm and strolled through the entryway.  
"Oh please, let yourself right in."  
"Your place is… quaint."  
"From your enthusiasm, it sounds like it's living up to your expectations."  
"My apologies. Based on what I've come to know of you, I was expecting something...bombastic."  
"Bombastic?" Jeff repeated.  
Tatsu nodded in confirmation. "You're not a showoff but you're up front about yourself."  
Understanding dawned on him. "Ahhh… but here everything all seems so-"  
"Reserved."  
"Heh, don't be too shocked. I've gotten that a lot from the little company I've had here."  
"So I'm not the first?"  
Maybe it was a trick of the light, but Jefferson could've sworn right then and there that Tatsu flashed a smile that was way more than innocent out of the corner of his eye.  
Jeff coughed to cover up his flustering. "Uh...what exactly was your plan for today again?"  
"I was hoping you could show me ways to relax." Tatsu said.  
Jeff folded his arms and gave her an inquisitive look. "Relax?"  
"Yes. You did comment on my lack of personal time last mission."  
The sound of an open palm meeting a forehead reverberated through the apartment. "Right. Rooftop. The mission."  
"I didn't think you had anything particularly special planned today but if I am intruding-"  
"No, you're not. It's just- look, why don't we go for a walk? I'm feeling cooped in here as is."  
"I don't see much in terms of relaxing from walking."  
"The walking is to clear my head so I can think of things that can relax you." A sigh escaped his breath. "And honestly, that might be an impossible task." Jeff whispered to himself.  
"Come again?"  
"Nothing."  
There it was again. That unreadable look she seemed to give him more these days.  
"Very well. Let us be on our way, Raijin."  
"Yeah, let's."  
_____________

The midday sun shone strong over Robinson Park in south Gotham. Jeff and Tatsu were leisurely walking on the concrete paved path before them, winding between grassy spaces with other parkgoers milling about.  
"Soooo… Raijin."  
"Hmm?"  
Jeff scratched at his chin, trying to find the right words to say. He didn't really know what type of conversations he should have with Tatsu. Most of their talks were mission based and outside of that their chara were brief and light. Not trying to overthink things, Jeff went for the first thing that popped in his head.  
"That nickname you've given me. Always sound weird coming out of my mouth."  
"Do you dislike it?"  
Jeff waved his hands placatingly. "No, not at all, it's just..."  
"Ugh, what should I call you?"  
Katana tilted her head in confusion. "I beg your pardon?"  
The two slowed their walk down and came upon a shaded bench under an oak tree. Jeff stiffly took a seat on one side, Tatsu mirroring him on the opposite end. The big man leaned forward, elbows resting on his thighs and hands clasped in front of his face.  
"I mean you have a nickname for me, right? Shouldn't I have one for you?"  
Tatsu rested her right leg on top of her left. "Is calling me my real name not enough?"  
"I never said it wasn't. I just thought we should be on the same playing field, you know? If you're being less loose around me, I should be less loose around you."  
"So if I'm to take this the right way, you were guarded around me before?"  
Jeff's whole body tensed to a degree most wouldn't notice. It would take a trained eye to catch that something was off.  
Tatsu had that eye.  
"I-"  
Tatsu gingerly placed a hand on Jeff's own. "I'm listening."  
"You always are, huh?"  
"I've had...issues in the past. Some were caused by outside forces, things no one could predict. But others, well, they came from me. I said things to people that were better left unsaid. I invaded other people's personal spaces thinking I could play hero. But in reality, that was the last thing they needed from me."  
"You're afraid of repeating your mistakes."  
"I figured I should keep business, business if problems came from me entangling it with my personal life. I don't wanna hurt myself or someone else like that again."  
"We're more alike than you think, Raijin."  
"Ha!"  
"What?"  
"If I had a penny for every villain who told me that, I could buy my own ice cream."  
"Perhaps next time, then."  
"Yeah, next time."  
___________________________________________________________________________

"Grace, come get your girl. She needs help."  
"Shut up, Jen. I'm doing fine on my own."  
"Really babe? Cause last I checked, this is your 3rd gutter ball in a row. Right Mr. Pierce?"  
"Mmm."  
Friday night was game night for the Pierce family. After the somewhat ugly divorce, the kids tended to flip flop between which parent they'd hang with each week. This week it was Jeff and he decided to bring them out to bowl with Anissa bringing her girlfriend Grace along with. They drove out to a mall downtown, got themselves a lane and shoes, and started their first game. It didn't take long for everyone's skill level to become apparent to the rest. Jen being the best, Grace and Jefferson being neck and neck, and Anissa being dead, dead last.  
"Look, nowhere was bowling anywhere in my training regimen. So what if behind y'all a couple points-"  
"Oh it's way more than a couple at this point."  
"It's tragic." Jen deadpanned.  
"Dad! Help me out here!"  
"Mmm."  
"Uh... dad?"  
Jeff blinked before hurriedly putting his phone into his pocket. "Oh sorry, honey. I was uh, helping a friend."  
"Oh."  
"Dad, be honest: am I bad at bowling?"  
"Sweetie, there are some truths better left unsaid."  
___________________________________________________  
After Anissa's abysmal score that she swore all present to never speak of was finalized, the four decided to leave the lanes behind and walk around the mall.  
The two shared a comfortable silence for a minute. It was nice… until Jen elbowed him. "So... you seem happy."  
"Why wouldn't I be? I get to spend the evening with my daughters in the world."  
"Are you implying daughters in the world that we don't know about because A) I want to meet them and B) it's good to know who's the best."  
"Trust me, having you two is enough."  
"But seriously, you've been a lot lighter these last couple of weeks. Less frowny and more smiles. Heck, your posture is more relaxed too."  
"Well, work has been a lot more manageable as of late. Violent crime has also decreased since that drug ring was broken up. And you know, they actually started selling my favorite type of cereal after years of discontinuing-"  
"What's her name?"  
Jen's comment threw off her dad's tempo.  
"Uh, who?"  
"The woman you're seeing, 'cause you're definitely not all cheery from some old ass breakfast food."  
"Language, Jen. And just so we're clear, I'm not seeing anyone."  
"Really?"  
"100%"  
"Ok. So who's the friend you were texting? And be honest."  
"That's- look, that is official superhero business."  
"Of which I, being a superhero and all, am involved with."  
"A hero in training."  
"Tomato, tomata."  
"Look Jen, I was just helping a friend, who goes by Tatsu, pick out decor for her apartment. She's been wanting to personalize her place for the last couple of weeks and asked me for some suggestions. That's it."  
"Dad-"  
"And besides, I'm not even looking for a relationship right now! Just because your mom is dating now does not mean I want to rush into finding someone myself. I like being single! I have my own room, my own bed-"  
Jen pinched the bridge of her nose and held up her other hand.  
"Dad, I get it. And I'm glad."  
"Oh. Well that's good."  
"It doesn't matter to me if you're seeing someone or not. All that matters to me is you being happy."  
"Okay the roles here have completely flipped. Who are you and what have you done with my daughter."  
"Dad, I'm being serious!"  
Jen crossed her arms and puffed her cheeks. Jeff could not differentiate between her and her 4 year old self when pouting. He cracked up instantly. Jen tried to keep up her act but eventually got dragged into the laughing fit as well. It took a few moments for their giggles to die down enough for Jen to continue.  
"You've been through a lot. The least you deserve are years where you can smile."  
"Thank you, Jen."  
"For what?"  
"For being one of those reasons I can smile now."  
"I mean I brighten everyone's day so that's nothing special."  
"Mhmm. Well, your speech was enlightening if not wholly you."  
"Pfft, Anissa would've said the same thing and agreed."  
"Yeah, but she would've been long-winded about it."  
"Yeah? Where did she get that from?"  
"...I should've adopted."  
"Excuse me?!"  
___________________________________________________________________________  
"Again."  
"As you wish."  
The Outsiders were officially off duty for the day, which unofficially meant it was extra training day. Jeff had work in his school to attend to so for the moment, Cass, Duke, and Katana were working out in the dojo, with Metamorpho there in 'spirit'. For the last half hour or so, Katana and Cass had been sparring, trading throws and blows with such ease you'd think they had choreographed it all beforehand.  
Duke jumped down from a salmon ladder after a few reps, kneeling on the ground in exhaustion. Rex Mason, aka Metamorpho who was currently transfixed by the martial arts demonstration, ate a bag of chips beside him.  
"How do they not get tired? Are they human?"  
"Says the actual metahuman." Duke grumbled.  
Rex shrugged. "You're one to talk buddy."  
Duke glanced over at his fellow meta. "Don't you need to be training too?"  
"Eh, it's all in the head for me. What's learning a couple of escapes and holds gonna do for the guy who can shape shift?"  
"Lucky you..."  
"It's a gift. By the way, Stephanie called earlier. Something about a movie...?"  
"Ah crap, that's now?!"  
Duke jumped up, shock evident on his face.  
"Shit, Cass, we're late!"  
The Batgirl glanced up from her current movements.  
"Late to..."  
"The movie!"  
"Oh, yeah."  
"Yeah! So maybe you should ease up on the chokehold and get ready to go."  
Cass looked down and noticed Katana, specifically Katana's throat trapped in the crook of Cass' right arm.  
"Ah. Guess I should do that."  
Duke was taken aback at her nonchalance. "You think?!"  
Cass released her hold allowing Katana to breathe and gasp a breath of air straight into her lungs. Tatsu massaged her throat to ease the pain.  
"Thank you, Duke. Cass."  
"No need for thanks." Duke grabbed his gym bag and stuffed his belongings inside. "Cass, let's go!"  
Cass stood and dusted off her pant legs.  
"Give me a second."  
The two young heroes made eye contact and a silent conversation passed between them. What could possibly have been said was unknown, but the tension in the room grew as seconds passed by. Metamorpho's gaze ping ponged between the two of them in anticipation.  
"Fine. But I swear if we miss the first five minutes you owe me, big time."  
Before he could protest, Rex was dragged out of the room by Duke leaving the space empty save for Cass and Tatsu. Tatsu shifted into a lotus position, facing her young student before her.  
"Something on your mind, Cass?"  
"I could ask you the same thing, sensei."  
"Oh?"  
"Your balance was off, your reactions slower than yesterday. I had three openings in the last five minutes that you did not take because you did not notice them. Your mind was not in the training."  
Tatsu nodded. "You're as sharp as always, Cass."  
"But not as sharp as you should be." Cass knelt in front of Katana, matching her pose. "Is something the matter?"  
"Am I.. pleasant to be around?"  
"Yes. To your friends you always have been."  
"Hmph. There lies the problem."  
"I don't follow..."  
"I can adjust, well enough, to be sociable around my peers and friends."  
"But when it comes to bonds that can potentially be even stronger, that pleasant part of me isn't enough."  
"I'm too tied to my past, which is too twisted in tragedy. How can I be worthy of something more, something in the future, when I always look back?"  
"With all due respect, sensei, that's the least smart thing you've ever said to me."  
"Every single person I love in my family, and that includes you, has experienced trauma and pain in their past. It doesn't go away, and in some ways it defines us, but we don't let it swallow us whole."  
"We're owed happiness. We can feel things we once thought we couldn't. People change."  
"Do you think your relationship with me or Duke, Batman, or Metamorpho is a sign of the past?"  
"No..."  
"Then your relationship with Jeff definitely isn't."  
"Thank you, Cass."  
___________________________________________________________________________

"Ice skating?"  
"I was told it's a great social outing."  
It was wintry Saturday night, the kind that nips at your skin like a kitten if exposed too long. Tatsu and Jeff had just finished dinner and were taking an evening stroll on the Gotham boardwalk. The two had been hanging out a lot more recently that they coil easily be mistaken as dating. Of course this led to no end of light teasing from Jeff’s kids and some other heroes. Whenever they went out Jeff typically showed Tatsu around places he was familiar with and thought would help them unwind from their stress. Today seemed to be going different though.  
"Who told you that?"  
"They would prefer their identity to remain, confidential."  
"It was Grayson wasn't it."  
A smile quirked on Jeff's lips.  
"...I will neither confirm or deny this."  
Jeff of course was...hesitant to ask Tatsu what they were. He wasn’t sure what was keeping him from talking about it. Nerves? Jeff had hooked up with people since the divorce, even gone a few dates. But the intentions were never one of a latsting relationship, it was always fleeting. But this? Tatsu was the first person since Lynn he had opened his heart to and despite how brave he could be in the field he had to admit he was scared of this new thing they had. He was afraid of losing it.  
"I haven't done this in years."  
"This is my first time."  
"Really? You've never skated before?"  
"Haven't had the need or want to until today."  
"Well you're in luck cause today you happen to be with a master of the ice. Watch and learn."  
____________________________________________________________________  
"Master, huh?" Tatsu teased.  
"I...I’m just getting warmed up."  
"Mhm."  
In the 5 minutes since he had gotten on the ice, Jeff had fallen a total of 6 times, each more hilarious to watch than the last.  
"If I could just some momentum-"  
“Here.”  
Tatsu extended a hand to her partner on the ground.  
"Let me help."  
Once he was up, Tatsu grabbed a hold of Jeff’s right hand with her left and the two took off. Anytime Jeff stumbled, Tatsu was there to hold him up. There may have been other skaters on the ice but with them together, listening only to each other, it almost felt like they were alone in their own little world.  
"How are you already so good at this?”  
"I'm good with blades."  
"Haha, of course."  
A silence fell between the two of them, but not an unpleasant one. They enjoyed its comfort like two people sharing one blanket on a couch. Tatsu was the first to break the quiet moment.  
"A blade can do many things, you know."  
Jeff raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"  
"It can cut down forests, slice into food, sharpen tools..."  
"Glide on ice?"  
"Yes, that too."  
Another breath of silence.  
"But it can also be deadly if not controlled."  
"Sometimes, all it takes is two hands. But in some cases that is not enough. Sometimes you need someone beside you who can steady your hands, carry that weight..."  
"And catch the blade, if need be."  
"When would they know?" Tatsu focused her gaze back on Jeff before he clarified. "To catch it I mean."  
Tatsu smirked at him.  
"It would be clear in the moment."  
___________________________________________________________________________

"You're going down, you pathetic heroes!"  
Bruno Manheim was at it again. In an attempt to expand Intergang's operations, the crime lord was participating in a massive underground arms trade with Black Mask's gang. The weapon? A bona-fide father box that Manheim decided to activate the second he caught wind of the Outsiders appearing. It wasn't in the heroes plans to be facing off against a pile of scrap metal corrupted into a mech by Apokoliptan technology but then again, most missions didn't go as planned. Right now, Metamorpho was dealing with a giant Pacifier robot that boomtubed outside of the building, leaving the rest of he Outsiders to deal with Maheim.  
"Dammit, where's our backup, Oracle?" Jeff yelled over the comms.  
"ETA 5 minutes, BL. The League is on route as we speak."  
A missile flew from the mech's right arm, sights set on Black Lightning. Yet before BL could even put up an electrical force field, Duke jumped in and unleashed a giant flash of light with his meta powers. The brief flash messed with the missle's heat sensors and its course deviated before it cratered into the floor yards away. While Manheim himself was recovering from the flash, the remaining Outsiders recovered behind a wall of scrap metal.  
"Until that backup comes, we're sitting ducks in here!" Duke stated.  
"Maybe not..."  
Jeff placed his hand on the ground and focused on the electrical energy in the area, drowning out all other noises and distractions.  
"There's an electromagnetic crane about 30 feet away in front of us and an emergency exit about 25 ft at our 10 o'clock."  
"Now I can get that magnet to work and use it on Bruno's mech, but I'll need a big enough distraction so that they don't see it coming. Once I get it working, all of you will need to get out that exit door and fast. I can absorb any electrical feedback from the machine breaking down that heads my way, but I can't protect all of you."  
Oracle voice came through the comms. "BL are you crazy? We're not leaving you behind. There isn't even a guarantee you'll be able to absorb all of that."  
"Well that's a risk I'm willing to take. Unless one of you has a better idea in the next 30 seconds?"  
A heavy air settled over the group but no one dared interrupt with any protest. They knew the risks. The moment the signed up to be heroes they knew they were putting their lives near death's door, when it could open at any minute to take them. It was frightening, crazy even. But someone had to do it.  
"We'll do it."  
"Katana!" Oracle shouted.  
"On my signal."  
"Ugh, this is insane." Duke whispered to himself.  
"Now!"  
The team, sans Jeff, vaulted over the wall. Manheim focused his sights on them.  
"So you finally came out to lose, did you?" The slimy gangster boasted.  
Cass stepped forward, cracking her knuckles. "No."  
Before Bruno could react a blade pierced through the ankle of his mech.  
"We came to win." Katana added.  
While Bruno was distracted again, Cass slipped behind and delivered a series of strikes to the back of the knees of the mech. The blows knocked the metal monstrosity off its balance and it came tumbling down.  
"Aargh! You puny pests!"  
"You know it's the robot taking damage and not you right?" "  
Duke's hands flashed with light once more.  
"Oh no, that tricks not gonna work me again, pal!"  
Bruno had his mech block all outside vision and switch to a sonar mode. He then began shooting laser cannons at Duke because what else would you do when piloting a mech?  
"Haaaa! What now brat! Can't do shit with your light when this baby just needs to hear you!"  
Duke dodged a laser beam before standing his ground before Bruno. "You must really love the sound of your voice with all that shouting. If you really want..."  
With a wave of his hands, Duke drained all the light from inside Bruno's cockpit, effectively putting him into absolute darkness.  
"I'll give you something to scream about."  
"Ahhh what the hell! You insolent brat! Where are you!!"  
"Team..."  
Cass, Duke, and Tatsu looked over to see Jeff out from his cover, glowing with electricity.  
"GO!!!"  
All at once, Jeff unleashed a bolt of electricity towards the crane. Overloaded with charge, the electromagnet sprung to life. Concentrating, Jeff manipulated the mangetic field into focusing on one single target: Manheim's mech.  
"What the fu-"  
Slowly but surely, Maheim began to get dragged away despite his resistance. The Intergang boss broke open his cockpit in a desperate attempt to see what was happening, but Duke's bubble of darkness persisted despite the change.  
"Nooooo!!!!"  
In a last ditch attempt to take his enemies down, Bruno let loose every rocket in the mechs system in every direction at random. While Duke and Cass managed to duck out through the exit, Katana watched as one of the remaining heat sensoring rockets landed its sights on Jeff.  
"Shit!"  
'Jeff!'  
Drawing from within, Katana focused her energy on the Soultaker. First came a spark. Then, a blazing inferno consumed the blade it's warmth radiating in waves. The missle of course, picked up on this new heat source almost instantly.  
"Katana? What are you-"  
Without warning, Tatsu jumped onto the mech which was now stuck on the magnet along with a bunch of other scrap metal.  
"Katana!!!"  
Within seconds the rocket detonated on the mech. The blast triggered an explosion of the crane itself and the blast blinded Jeff behind the quick force field he managed to put up.  
Everything went white.  
___________________________________________________________________________

Duke sighed. "This sucks."  
"Really sucks." Cass agreed.  
"Really fucking sucks." Rex added.  
It had been 3 weeks since the Intergang incident and Manheim was safely behind bars. Unfortunately, Tatsu had been comatose the entire time since her sacrifice.  
"Aren't there like League members who could do something? Some fancy tech or magic healing powers?"  
"Stuff like that always poses a risk when dealing with humans. If she were a meta you could always risk it but..."  
"There's no telling if her body in its current state could handle any procedure like that. It's best to wait, as painful as it is."  
"It does hurt."  
"You could say that again."  
"But it hurts worse for him."  
Inside the hospital room, Jeff sat beside Tatsu's bed, a weariness he had not felt in years taking a hold of him. He hadn't slept in days. He'd barely eaten. For the last few weeks all Jeff had done was work on autopilot before visiting Tatsu for as long as possible. Some days he was perfectly quiet, watching her. Other days he talked. There was never any one topic he chose. He simply wanted his partner to know that she wasn't alone. "Tatsu..."  
Jeff lightly Tatsu's right hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb. "I...I have a lot of things to tell you. Heh, I don't even know where to start."  
Jeff dryly chuckled to himself, looking out the window on the far side of the room to the city outside. "My life is so hectic that most days I just expect busy days filled with chaos and noise. And honestly, I thought that was all there would be."  
Tears started brimming in his eyes. "And it was, until you started getting to me."  
A few drops leaked down his cheeks. "And maybe, strangely, I didn't want to go further down that road with you. Perhaps I was afraid. Scared, of having something I didn't think I deserved. Having something I never thought I possibly could."  
Jeff closed his eyes, shutting off the waterworks as best as he could. "It's a strange feeling. Part of it feels familiar. But the rest is so inexplicably..."  
"New."  
Jeff opened his eyes and stared into those of his love. "Hey, Raijin."  
"Hey."  
The two gazed into each other's eyes before Jeff broke out into happiest smile he'd had in years. Tatsu couldn't help the smile on her face from growing in response. "You're thinking loud again."  
Jefferson smirked "I can't imagine why."  
Tatsu laughed before sitting up and inching closer to Jeff. She took a hold of his hands, idly stroking his knuckles while looking down."Do you remember what we talked about, on the night we went skating?"  
"I do."  
A second passed. "I think now's the time."  
Tatsu looked deep into his pupils."You think or you know?"  
"I'm positive."  
Jeff shifted his hands onto the small of Tatsu's back. With a gentle pull he slowly brought their bodies together, her hands coming to rest on his shoulders. The two shared one last separate breath before molding their lips to the other. From that moment on, the air they shared crackled with a warm energy, the air of a passed storm, signaling a bright, coming day.  
________________

Outside the room, Duke, Cass, and Rex slowly backed away from the door after peeking in.  
Duke could do nothing but shake his head in astonishment."He did not just make an electricity pun."  
Rex dragged his hands down his face. "Why the dad jokes? Why now?!"  
Cass shrugged."They're shockingly bad."  
"Please, no more."

End.


End file.
